What Took You So Long

I just saw this on FB and had to share it with everyone!

There was a man who purchased a blazer at Nordstrom. The longer he kept it, the less he liked it. After wearing it regularly for the first six months, he stuck it in his closet for about a year. Tucked away in the back of his mind was Nordstrom’s famous unconditional return policy.

After about 18 months, he thought he’d try to return the blazer even though he didn’t really think Nordstrom would exchange it since he’d worn it so many times. He walked up to the first salesperson he saw and gave a little speech he’d prepared: “I’m about to put your famous unconditional-return policy to its ultimate test. I have here a blazer. I’ve worn it lots. I’ve had it for a year and a half. I don’t like it. It’s the wrong color and attracts lint like it’s going out of style. But I want to return this blazer for another one that I like.” Then he stood there.

The salesperson replied, “For heaven’s sake, what took you so long? Let’s go find a blazer you like.” Ten minutes later the man walked out with a new blazer that was marked $75 more than what he paid for the one he returned. It was perfect and didn’t cost a penny more.

God, we could say, is like a supersized Nordstrom. God makes these incredible promises, but many times we can’t bring ourselves to believe they’re true. Finally, when we’re overcome by fear or despair, we eventually cry out to God. We claim his promise, and then the Lord comes through. But along the way I wonder if God sometimes thinks: For heaven’s sake, what took you so long?

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 
Click the Hodgepodge button above to go and join Joyce in all the fun (after you read mine and hopefully comment).

1. What question do you often ask yourself?
Do I really want to eat that?

2. Do you grow roses? What's your favorite color of rose?  Ever been given a dozen roses?  Where was the prettiest rose or rose garden you remember seeing?
No, I don't grow roses.  My favorite color rose is red.  Yes, I have. When I was growing up we had red climbing roses that grew around our back porch on a split rail fence.  I loved them! I don't think I've ever seen roses that were any prettier than those.

3. Do you read the freshness dates on grocery store products?  Will you use eggs past their 'use by' date?  Take medication that's expired? Buy a dented can?
Yes, I do read the dates.  Yes, I will use eggs beyond the date.  I have taken medicine beyond the expiration date, but I don't like too.  I will buy a dented can, but I prefer not too.  I do not like to drink milk or eat bread beyond the expiration date.

4. Should athletes be role models?
I think so.  That's why I hate seeing professional baseball players chewing tobacco or dipping snuff.

5. Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal became the first explorers to reach the top of Mt. Everest on this date (May 29) back in 1953. What's something you hope to achieve in your lifetime?
Retirement

6. What would you do if you had twenty acres of land and the money to develop it any way you choose?
I guess it would depend on where it was.  If it was on the beach, I'd build a condo and live there and my family could visit and use the extra side whenever they wanted.

7. If I invite you to a party with a 7 PM start time, what time will I actually see you there?
Probably 7PM.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
I can't wait until November to get to see this again. 

Just before sunrise at Myrtle Beach

The sun just tipping up over the horizon!

Here's a post to humble this mama's heart and to make me so proud, I could pop my buttons!

A Wonderful Day!

Yesterday was an absolutely wonderful day.  Hubby and I stayed home all day. 

I did laundry and a few things around the house. 

But mostly, we just relaxed.  I read about half a book and watched a little TV and we sat out on the front porch for about an hour and enjoyed the lovely weather. 

Hubby grilled hamburgers for lunch along with corn on the cob.  Delicious!

Carolyn and Carina were with us for about half the day and then they went out with friends.

So maybe this sounds like a boring day to a lot of people, it was just perfect to me.  Especially since we had run the entire weekend.  (If you want to know about that, see the post below this one).

Today I go to work and then I'm leaving early to take my mom to get the cast off her arm.  I know she can't wait!

Have a great day everyone!!

Weekend Wrap-Up

Actually, the weekend is not over yet, but everyone else in the house is still in bed, so I thought I'd post something on the first 3 days of this 4 day weekend.  (By the end of this, everyone is up and it's gonna be a great day!  Just hung the flag out on the front porch.)

On Friday afternoon we took Kelli to the airport so she could head out to Wyoming for her Internship for the summer.  If you click HERE, you can see her blog post about her first 3 days.  Although, we miss her here, I believe this is really going to be an awesome experience for her.

Kelli and her Daddy

Kelli and me

Kelli and Carina...let me tell you, these 2 are surely gonna miss each other.  Carina keeps crawling to her door and knocking on it trying to find Kelli.  It is so stinking cute!

 Then Friday evening hubby and I went to "Outback" for dinner.  Kelli had given me a gift certificate for Mother's Day.  Hubby and I had an awesome prime rib dinner.  Yummy!

Saturday, hubby and I took about a 4 hour drive and went to Amish Country.  We had a lovely lunch there and then did some shopping.  I think my favorite part was on the way back home, we drove back roads (getting out of the touristy areas) and saw a lot of Amish homes, buggies and Amish teens riding bikes, men working in the fields and just beautiful country.

Below are a few of the pictures that were taken.  We try to be very respectful and discreet when taking photos as they do not wish to have pictures taken of their faces.

This is a window at Heini's Cheese Factory.  Of course, while we were there was bought a bunch of cheese.  Yum!

An Amish garage sale...who knew!  I don't know if the person having the sale was Amish, but there was a buggy parked there and these Amish people shopping. I guess, we all like a good sale!

I cannot tell you how many of these girls we saw out riding.  Most of them were dressed in this same color.  There were also a bunch of boys and they were dressed in yellow shirts.  Not sure what that was about.

I love seeing laundry hanging out and Saturday was certainly a beautiful day for it.

Beautiful farm

Another gorgeous farm. We are sitting in the parking lot of a small store and bakery.  I bought a beautiful hanging basket of flowers here.

Working hard in the field.

More field work

And yet another field worker

 On Sunday we had 2 wonderful church services and went to lunch at Panera Bread with Tracy's parents and then we did grocery shopping and I bought 3 hanging baskets for the front porch.  I was going to get Boston Ferns, but they were sold out.  So instead I bought Asparagus Ferns.  They are different but really pretty.  So let's see if I can keep them alive this summer.  haha

So that's pretty much my weekend so far.  I am certainly looking forward to today.  Plans are to grill out hamburgers and just hang around the house.  So far, I've done this post and I'm on my 2nd load of laundry.  Hoping to get out and enjoy the rockers on the front porch and do some reading.  It looks like a beautiful, sunshiny, cool day!

Happy Memorial Day and a big thank you to all the soldiers past and present who have made it so we can enjoy life in a free country.

(I just realized this is post 1,002 for me.  Yay!)

Friday Fragments

I haven't posted in 2 weeks now.  In fact, the last thing I posted was the Friday Fragments.  So I guess it's appropriate that I start out again with the Friday Fragments.  After you read my Frags and comment (hopefully), why not click the big blue button above and join in some fun with Mrs. 4444's at Half-Past Kissin Time.  Come on, you know you want to.

*  As I said above I haven't posted in two weeks.  I haven't been feeling well and just didn't have the energy to spend here.  I've had allergies, or sinus infection, or summer cold or something.  Sore throat, coughing, etc.  You get the idea.  Working, resting and spending time with Kelli are about all I've had energy for.

*  It's been great having Kelli home for 3 weeks.  We've had a lot of fun.  She and I went out and saw a movie, "The Croods."  We had the whole theater to ourselves.  We laughed and talked and watched the movie and ate chocolate.  It was a good time.  In fact, it doesn't get much better than that.

*  We watched "Finding Nemo" at home together, along with several other movies.  As a family we watched a James Bond movie together.  Good times.

*  We've all gone out to eat together several times, plus our Saturday ritual of Wal-marting together.  We've played with the baby and Caroline and just had good times.

Carina helping Kelli pack!  We've had to remind Kelli that she can't pack the baby to take with her.  I'll have to be sure to check her luggage before she leaves.  She definitely loves this little girl.  Below is a video of Kelli and Carina playing together.

*  Kelli has run around with friends and with her sister, etc.  It has been a busy, packed 3 weeks.

*  She asked for a home cooked meal where we all sat at the table together before she had to leave.  So yesterday we did a roast in the crock pot and then had beef and noodles.  Yummy!  It would have been even better if Kerri had been here with us, but it was a good time.

*  All in all it's been a good 3 weeks.  However, this afternoon we will be taking her to the airport and she will be heading to Casper, Wyoming to do a summer internship with the Church of God there.  I think this will be a wonderful experience for her.

*  If things go as planned, she'll have a couple of weeks with us in August before she heads back to school for her senior year.  Yay!

I've got a 4 day weekend and I plan to enjoy every minute of it!  I'll tell you about it next week, Lord willing and the creeks don't rise.

So that's all I have to frag about right now. I gotta get cleaned up and ready to face this day.  Hope you all have a great one!

Oh by the way.  I've been getting a lot of spam lately and some of it has been slipping through the spam filter.  So for now, I've got comment moderation on.  Just wanted you to know.